Lost mobile phone helped cops trace the two accused

Clues from the scene of the crime and a mobile phone left behind by one of the accused, helped the police trace the killers of 58-year-old Nalini Chainani within 24 hours.

According to the police, when they reached Chainani’s Pali Hill residence to examine the spot and conduct a panchnama, they found there no signs of forced entry. The safety door, lock, safety chain and all other access points were untouched.

On entering the house, the police saw two empty glasses lying on a tray on the dining table. While one of them appeared freshly broken with shattered pieces around it, the second one was half-filled with juice. The police also recovered an empty juice bottle. No visible signs of violence were also spotted in the house.

“We inferred from these clues that someone known to the family had committed the crime. It appeared that the two persons had rang the doorbell, following which the victim opened the door and let them in. The two then murdered her and fled with the valuables,” said Cherring Dorjee, zonal deputy commissioner of police.

The police found three mobile phones in the living room, of which one did not belong to the family. The police realised it belonged to one of the accused. The police, through the mobile phone, identified its owner.

Meanwhile, the security guard told the police although he did not see the accused enter the building, he saw two unidentified men leave the building. When he questioned them, the men gestured that they were coming down from the seventh floor.

Two hours later when the accused wanted to contact a friend to hide the booty, they realised one of them did not have their phone. They began calling the phone from different booths in Mumbra and Bandra, following which they were traced.

“Several teams, comprising 80 police constables and 20 officers were formed and they started looking for the accused in Thane, Mumbra, Khar, Bandra and Andheri (West) areas. While Saif Hussain, 28. was arrested from Mumbra, Parvez Khan, 33, was arrested from Bandra Chinmaiwada locality,” said Dorjee.